Unleashed Strength (About Motherhood)

When I became a mother in 2004, I was able to accomplish a lot of things which I thought I would never be able to do.  Having a child puts your life into perspective.  In an instant, my life had a clear direction and purpose.

After giving birth, I didn’t have the money to purchase the prescribed pain relievers.  I was too embarrassed to ask financial assistance from anyone even from my parents.  Believe it or not, I was able to tolerate the pain.  One day after giving birth, I was able to stand, walk, wash, and sterilize bottles and so much more.

During my younger days, I had such a sleepy head.  I would sleep for 10-12 hours during my rest days.  It would be challenging to pull me out of my bed.  The moment I held Anton in my arms, I was able to survive with just a few hours of sleep.  Each time he creates sounds, I would check immediately if he is alright.  No sleep, no problem.

As a first time mom, there were a lot of things I was unsure of.  I had a baby book of 101 Baby Questions and Answers.  Internet access and using Google wasn’t common yet at that time.  When I feel that something weird is going on, I check on this book.  I checked on questions like, “What to do when your baby has hiccups?”  Or “Is it normal for your child to poop every 15 minutes?”  That book helped me survive motherhood.  It taught me how to be independent.

One of the best gifts that I gave my son was breastfeeding him until 2 years and a half.  My son has never been hospitalized or confined.  True enough the antibodies in colostrum and breast milk made him a strong boy.  Endurance of pain is easy when you are doing it for someone you love.

The weaning process was painful.  My son was speaking fluently already at age 2.  I was telling him, “Can you just drink milk from the bottle starting now?”  He would look at me with a very sad face and say NO. The struggle was real.  He was not able to sleep until the wee hours in the morning.  He would tire himself and color all the pages in a coloring book and still look for breast milk to be able to sleep.  I am just glad that Vicks solved the problem.  By applying Vicks, he preferred bottled formula. 

Making sacrifices came out naturally for me.  Suddenly, I was willing to give up watching television and listening to the radio.  I don’t want my son to be disturbed while he was sleeping.  I traded those for books which introduced me to Paulo Coelho, Rick Warren, Frank McCourt and Dan Brown .  I started to become selfless.  All of my earnings goes to providing for my son’s needs.  It was not an issue that I can’t buy a new dress or a new pair of shoes.

I felt that God was sending me a strong message as a mother at a young age.  He told me that he was always there to help me out and support me.  I was providing for my son on my own and it was tough to make both ends meet.  I’ve never won a raffle and yet to my surprise, I won a year’s worth of diapers.  When the company called me and told me that their office is in Makati, I told them I might not be able to claim the prize since I am the only one watching over my baby.  They said don’t worry, we will deliver it right to your door step.  What a blessing!

Lesson: Regardless of the circumstances, being a mother is the biggest blessing in a woman’s life.